Apparatus for cooling soap and similar solidifiable materials



Sept. 18, 1945. D. A. `l-umcmarn' 2,335,134

APPARATUS FOR COOLING SOAP SIMILAR SOLIDIFIABLE MATERIALS Filed Dec. 51, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 GAS@ Sept. 18, 1945. D. A. HACKETT K 2,385,134

A APPARATUS FOR COOLING SUAP AND SIMILAR SOLIDIFIABLE MATERIALS Filed uw. 51, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Sept. 18, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT. or-"x-'flcs` .Y 'y M'2,335,134 V i Y APPARATUS FUR COLING SOAP AND SIMILAR SOLIDIFIABLE Daniel Alphonsns Hackett, Wanstesd, England, or to Lever Brothers & Unilever Limited, gttaiunllghh England, a, company of Great Application December 31, 1842, Serial No. 47Il,89d

. In Great Britain December 31, 1941 S Claims. (Cl. 257-256) This invention relates to sppsrstus for cooling soep and similar solidiilsble materials which are to be cooled into slabs or blocks, and relates particularly to improvements in cooling cells for whichtwo rectcngulsr polished metal plates, such yss sheets of stainless steel or nickel-cisti steel, form the cooling faces for the material contained within the moulding frames. As these pistes nrc subjected to en appreciable external pressure by the material and asmall but not negligible internci pressure by the cooling water, they are provided with internal stiiIeners, normally attached by welding 'to both plates in .such a way that a, plurality of passages is formed for the The edges of circulation of the cooling water. the plates are generally welded to a skeleton frame to eliminate leaks due to the internal presf sure.

It is found in practice that cells constructed as outlined above suffer from various drawbacks and defects, chief amongst which are (1) susceptibility of the welded places to corrosion, which allects the surfce and frequently gives rise'to leaks around the edges, (2) distortion of the surface of the plates by the heat of the welding process at numerous points, (3)l slowrate of heat transmission on account of low velocity of the cooling water and (4) low space utilisation.-

It is `an object of the invention to provide a. cooling cell in which the risk of leakage is eliminoted or materially reduced and heat transfer and space utilisation are improved 'The invention consists in a. cooling cell for cooling apparatus of the lter press type, which comprises in combination a narrow rectangular chamber, the side walls of which constitute the:` cooling surfaces, a stiffening grid comprising a cording to the invention designed for use in soapcooling apparatus will now be described by way of exemple and with reference to the accompcnying drawingsl in which Figure l is an isometric view of the rectangu ier chamber with e. portion of one of the surfece plates broken away.

Figure 2 is en iscmetricview of the stiicning grid.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the assembled cooling cell with the front surface plate removed,

und

Figure 4 illustrates the position of the water inlet pipe in the chamber.

The rectangular chamber is constructed of e.

frame comprising the three members I, 2 and 3 drilled and tapped for the attachment of the surface plates 4 and E. The fourth member E of the frame carries the stifi'ening grid formed of bars 1 and is provided with-lugs 8 and 9 for attachment to the side members 2 and 3. The two surface plates I and 5 consisting of relatively thin sheets of stainless steel or nickel-clad steel are secured to'the assembled frame by countersunk screws I0 with the aid of a, plastic jointing compound. The depth of the grid' is such that the inner faces oi the surface plates l and i rest on the grid, the bars'l being pitched at such intervals as to provide, vwithout need for attachment, effective support for the surface plates. A transverse rod I I, which may be secured to the hars 1 by welding, serves to keep the bars in position. l

The water inlet pipe I 2 extending through holes I3 and I4 in the side members 2 and l and holes I5 in the bars 'l is provided along its whole length with two rows 'of small holes I6 and I1 so positioned as to-direct the cooling water onto the inner faces of the surface plates to form a. continuous fast moving descending nlm thereon. The water inlet pipe muy be of round, elliptical or any other suitable cross section, andln plsceof the small holes shown in the drawings narrow longitudinal slits may be provided. An outlet opening I8 for the cooling water is arranged in one yside of the frame, the cooling water ilowing to the outlet opening through the smell space left between the lower end of the grid and the bottom member I ci the frame.

A passage I9 is provided for the flow of the liquid soap through the cooling cell between adjacent soap-mouldingfrsmescnd such passage is preferably formed by s. composite and readily uncoupled ring joint so as to permit either surface plate to be removed if desired'.

l cooling apparatus.

In order` to' facilitate the lifting out of the grid from the chamber, an eye member 2B is provided in the centre of the tcp member S of the frame. The projecting screws 2i and 22 together with the threaded elements 23 and 25 serve for the attachment of the straps by which the lcooling cell is suspended in the cooling apparatus.

It will be observed that the novel cooling cellV according to the invention possesses amongst others the following advantages over the normal construction of cooling cell now in use: Y

The stiiening structure is not welded to the surface plates, so that the original truth of the plates is not disturbed and the risk of corrosion greatly reduced. The possibility of water leakage is practically eliminated, as no internal pressure exists. With the internal grid .providing adequate support for the plates without need for attachment, the plates can be formed from relatively thin sheets having a low resistance to heat transfer. Moreover, heat transfer is further improved by the high velocity of the cooling water nlm which increases as the temperature4 of the water rises. 'I'he novel cell has a materially low` er heat capacity than those which are operated full of water. The cell may be made narrower than theknown constructions, as the minimum thickness is only limited by the width of the water inlet pipe. 'Ihe cell therefore occupies less space and thus increases the capacity of the Finally the interior is made completely accessible for inspection and cleaning by the removal of either of the surface plates or the withdrawal of the stiifening grid.

I claim:

1. A .cooling cell comprising. two side frame members connected by a bottom frame member, and two substantially rectangular side plates secured to said frame members to form a narrow rectangular chamber open at the top, ln combination with a removable stiienlng grid insertk for` said chamber comprising a top frame member having a plurality of substantially vertical bars depending therefrom and a transverse bar near the lower portion of said vertical bars for holding said vertical bars in position, the edges of said bars vertically slidably engaging the inner surfaces of said side plates when said stiiening grid is inserted into said chamber, and th'e ends of said top frame member being securable to the tops of said side frame members and the upper l margins of said side plates being securable to the sides of said top frame member after said grid is inserted to close the top of said chamber and complete the cooling cell.

2. A cooling cell comprising two side frame members connected by a bottom frame member, and two rectangular side plates secured tosald members to form a narrow rectangular chamber open at the top, means forming'a passage from the outside of one plate through said chamber to the outside of the other plate and spaced from said side'and bottom frame members, in combination with a stiening grid comprising a top frame member having a plurality of substantially vertical bars depending therefrom and held in position by a transverse bar near the lower por-' tion of said vertical bars, said bars being coniorming means when said stiening grid is inserted into said chamber with the edges of said bars vertically slidably engaging the "inner surfaces of said side plates.

3. A cooling cell for cooling apparatus of the filter press type. comprising a narrow rectangular chamber having side walls which constitute the l cooling surfaces, and a plurality of substantially vertical bars transversely disposed in spaced relation inside said chamber `for supporting said side walls against outside pressure, each of said bars having an aperture near the top thereof, in combination with a cooling uid inlet pipe passing horizontally throughf said apertures and provided with openings for the uniform discharge of the cooling iuid outwardly and downwardly through the spaces between adiacent pairs of said bars onto the inner faces of said side walls supported thereby.

4. A cooling cell for cooling apparatus of the filter press type, comprising in combination a narrow rectangular chamber, the side walls of which constitute the cooling surfaces, a stiflenng grid comprising a` plurality of substantially vertical bars and withdrawably disposed inside said chambers, the depth of said grid being such that said side walls rest upon and are supported by said vertical bars, and a cooling fluid inlet pipe horizontally disposed inside said chamber near the top thereof and passing through apertures in the bars of said grid and provided with openings for the uniformdischarge ofthe cooling medium outwardly and downwardly between said bars and onto the inner faces of said side walls to form a continuous fast moving descending film thereon, and an outlet adapted to discharge said medium at a rate sumcient to prevent accumulation of said cooling medium which would vfill said cell.

5. A cooling cell for cooling apparatus of the iilter press type, comprising a rectangular frame having a top member detachably secured to the vertical side members of said frame and carrying a stiffening grid formed by a plurality of substantially vertical bars held in position by a transverse bar, two rectangular side plates attached to said frame, and a water inlet pipe disposed substantially horizontally inside said chamber near the top thereof andpassing through holes in said side members and said vertical bars, said water inlet being provided substantially along its whole length with two rows of small openings positioned so as to direct the cooling water supplied to said pipe on to the inner faces of said two rectangular side plates to form a continuous fast moving descending film thereon to effect rapid heat transfer with low heat capacity.

6. A cooling cell for cooling apparatus of the lter press type, comprising a narrow rectangular frame, a pair of heat conducting plates attached to opposite sides of said frame and thereby spaced apart to comprise a narrow rectangular chamber, said plates forming the side walls of said chamber and constituting the cooling surfaces of said cell,

, said frame having a top member detachably se'- cured to the vertical side members of said frame and carrying a stiflening Agrid formed by a plurality o f substantially vertical bars held in posi'- tion by a transverse bar passing through apertures in the lower portions of said substantially vertical bars, said grid being withdrawably disposed inside said chamber, each of ssd substantially vertical bars being of a depth many times its thickness and having substantially nat sides disposed transversely to said side walls and substantially flat narrow edges opposed to said side walls, the depthof said grid being such that said side walls rest upon and are supported by the narrow edges of said substantially vertical bars, a water inlet pipe disposed substantially horizontally inside said -chamber near the top thereof and passing through holes in said side inembers and said vertical bars, said water inlet pipe being perforated substantially along its Whole length with two rows `of small openings positioned between said vertical bars and so as to direct the cooling water supplied'to said pipe on to the inner faces of said side plates to form a. continuous fast moving descending nlm thereon, and means for removing DANIEL ALPHONvSUS HACKE'I'I. 

